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It is the middle of the week and that means its my weekly woof, life is so hard having to keep up with this schedule so have asked for a pay raise in treats and my slave is debating about it. She can be so mean sometimes.

We have had a quiet week here as the weather has been San Francisco weather, cold, gloomy and foggy so every opportunity that the sun comes out Mom grabs me and the park things and off we go. But chuckling, I have a new game and that is to hide in my box and refuse. It then becomes an argument but in the end Mom wins but this game is fun.

Over the weekend Mom and I just relaxed, did not do any adventures and decided to take it easy and spend quality time together. It was awesome having her to myself although in the afternoons we would meet our friends in the park, freeze a bit in the sun and just chomp on treats, Mom her coffee and chat with friends.

Let me introduce to two of my friends, Lucy who I love to play with and CJ who is very shy. He is a rescue and adorable and what is funny is now he knows Mom has treats in her bag he tries to get them out, sticking his long nose into the pockets. It is really funny to watch.

Tomorrow, Thursday they are having a movie in the park which will be fun, it is Best in Show, so we going to bundle up and go watch it. There are going to be food trucks with all kinds of foods and the best part is all dogs are welcome. I have never been to a movie before so am really excited.

Mom also told me that we are invited to a BBQ on Saturday evening, yumm where there is food I am happy although Mean Mom watches what I eat.

So that is the happenings in our Neighborhood at the moment, never a dull moment but happy times which of course is the best.

Am now going to whine and mope and work on Mom to hand over some treats, have a wonderful rest of the week,

It has actually been in a way a slowish one since last week as Mom decided she needed to slow down a bit as she pulled a muscle in her side, so off to the Doctor she went on Friday to have it checked out. Doctor told her it is part of growing old BOL and that she will survive.

On Friday was spoil your dog day so Mom surprised me with two new toys which I love especially when they squeak. That made up for Mom going to the Doctor so I forgave her although made sure she double dosed me with treats.

On Sunday we went on an adventure, and Mom who is getting old, shhhh don’t tell her, forgot the battery at home so we did not get many pictures.

It was a fun event called the Noe Valley Animal Fair where there were goats, bunnies, dog and cat rescues of course, but the best was I got to meet LiLou the Therapy Pig from San Francisco Airport, who scared me and that is when the battery just went boom dead. So no pictures. It was a cute event in a small town square, lots of people and booths with different animals and of course lots of kids running around.

On the way home we stopped off at the park and sat with friends, but my best surprise was my boyfriend Boaz was there so I lay on his tummy and had a shnooze. It was a great fun day and by the time we got home Mom was exhausted.

As on this blog I always share about events in San Francisco, and having lived in Israel most of my life, I decided to share with you an amazing Dog Event that is happening in Tel Aviv on the 24 August. I really wish I was there for it.

It is called : Kelaviv Dog Festival (A very clever play on words as Kelev is Dog in Hebrew and it is being held in Tel Aviv.

With 1 dog for every 17 residents, Tel Aviv is the city with the highest amount of dogs per capita in the world and this is definitely a reason to celebrate. The friendliest city for dogs is happy to host the third Kelaviv* dog festival; bigger and better than ever before!

Pooches and their humans will be able to experience the first ever Urban Dogs Olympic Games, a dog beauty queen competition, massages for dogs, dog bakeries, counseling and training services, and plenty of pet friendly stalls. In addition, this year we will also have a live music stage with performances by: Jane Bordeaux, Avihu Pinhasov Rhytm Club and more!

It sounds like so much fun and I think that we should all start saving to go to the next one next year. Actually LOL it would be awesome if we could organize a tour of all dog events all over the world and take our dogs and travel.

What can I say, I am dreaming of doing something like that but would have to win the lottery LOL.

I will be updating you on Layla’s diet next week as I think I am getting to what I want to do, through trial and error will be the wiser.

Mom is still on the famous mission BOL of research and phew in a way it is keeping her busy so she is not bothering me.

We had a great weekend with lots of activities. On Saturday we spent the whole afternoon in the park as the weather has been awesome so I have had lots of park fun with my friends and of course lots of treats.

On Sunday we went for an adventure to Japan town where they were having the annual Nihonmachi street fair. It is a great event that is held annually with dog events, local rescues of birds and dogs, and local vendors. It was an eye opener for me as I did not realize how many local businesses there are that make the food / treats here in San Francisco. Met up with some great people and in a future blog will be doing a review on one or two of them and their products. Layla of course had fun, sitting in her backpack which many people asked me about plus she filled up on treats, Miss Piggy. They also had a display of antique cars which was so great to see, lots of food of course for us humans and just a great family filled fun day. I love these small festivals and once again can say thank goodness for the backpack as it makes my life so much easier.

We got home in the early afternoon, I needed coffee LOL, and then packed up and went to sit in the park to relax. The weather has been amazing and a lot of our friends came and sat with us, so it was fun chatting, dogs wandering around and of course mooching where possible and the type of afternoons I love. By the time we got home I was exhausted, so was Madam, she ate her dinner, I cooked something easy and then we both went to bed.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I took Layla for her bi-annual check up, the vet is very happy with her health for her age, excluding her left eye where she is going blind slowly and we are just letting nature take it course, she is one happy healthy little girl. I discussed with the vet that I am changing her diet, she gave me a resource to check to make sure it is well balanced, so in a nutshell I, the Jewish Mom is relaxed.

In the evening we went to our dog park where there was a community BBQ, the police get together to cook for us, it is a lot of fun plus we meet them in person, a wonderful community fun evening for all.

So that has been our week, busy as always and as Mom says she is slowing down for the rest of the week kind of LOL, till the weekend arrives and more happenings.

August is the month we are celebrating our 3rd year of Layla blogging, I cannot believe it and it seems like yesterday that we wrote the first one, chuckling as I remember doing it, then deleting it by accident and having to re write the whole blog. I learnt a good lesson from that one.

So what is happening here in the Layla Neighborhood is like this.

Mom is on a mission and I think I am going into hiding. Yup that is what is happening here at the moment.

As you know I told you last week how I am slowly changing Layla’s diet so I have been doing a lot of research plus seeing what is happening in the city by visiting the different pet stores as I would love to be able to support the locals.

Last week we went on adventure to Bernal Beasts, a great store, full of fantastic goodies of all kind. The reason we went there is Mom wanted to get some Goats Milk to try with me as she has read that it is really healthy. The people there are so warm and friendly and in a nutshell a great vibe. They also have a groomer but please do not give Mom any ideas as you know how much I hate them.

We spent the weekend in the dog park when the sun came out as it has been really foggy and dreary in San Francisco. It was fun to hang out with our friends, eat lots of treats and just relax, chat and play.

So as you can see never a dull moment here and as I say when Mom gets a bee in her bonnet oy vey it is time to really hibernate but on the other hand she is Jewish and making sure I stay really healthy.

So that is what has been happening in the Layla Neighborhood, it is a happy one with lots of adventures, park time and of course cuddle and play time.

I am now doing what I always do and that is go to my box for my afternoon siesta,

We have recovered from the AiDS Walk and last weekend I decided to just relax and take it easy whatever easy is LOL. On Saturday I did volunteer like I always do but then the rest of the weekend was just Layla and Me, walking, and relaxing in the park. The weather was perfect for it and hopefully next weekend will be too.

I am at the moment re-evaluating Layla’s food as I feel with her getting older am questioning her supplements etc plus with what I have been reading online lately with the no grain, yes grain, etc which is mind boggling and confusing I think the time has come to do it. Plus I already cook half of her food and make some of her treats so why not do the whole lot at home. (I use Grandma Lucy’s Macanna Premix for the extra supplements plus add others)

So with the research I am starting to go to the different pet stores in the city to see what they have, what is interesting and get more ideas.

On Monday we went to visit a store called SFRAW. It was an adventure for both of us as it took 2 bussess each way to get there and by the time I found the place we were hot and tired. Layla of course was in her backpack and I made the mistake of forgetting her cooling vest at home. Bad Mom.

What is SFRAW – They are the largest resource in California for people who feed their pets raw food. It is a great store with loads of products of all kinds, some were incredibly interesting like the frozen chicken necks which you can feed your dog, I am petrified to do that as the bones are small and have always heard that they are not good for your dog although I do have friends that feed them to the dogs and if they sell them then I do know it is perfectly safe.

They support local family farms that practice humane, organic, sustainable and pastured farming methods. So everything is really healthy.

They do not ship their products but their treats which they had which were slices of goats cheese, turkey hearts and beef hearts. Layla got to come home with the turkey hearts which she loves.

I have started making Layla a new treat which she loves, and what I love about giving them to her is when we are on the go they can also be a type of food which is better in the long run.

The recipe is simple :

One pound of ground turkey or ground chicken or salmon which I chop up (I do not use ground beef as it can be fatty sometimes)
One Egg
Grated veggies like carrots, zucchini, broccoli and whatever else you want to add

Mix all together, lie flat on a baking sheet so it is about one inch thick, Bake in oven on 350 Deg till ready. (I leave it softish)
When cool I cut into squares and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge and take out as I need.

Bon Appetit !

So as you can see there is never a dull moment in our lives and as a good Jewish Mom one of my main focuses is keeping her happy and healthy as possible.

Madam is at this moment doing what she does best, sleeping and I am off here to carry on with my research and will keep you all posted in the next blogs with recipes. I am always open to suggestions so bring them on 🙂

We are half way through the month and the year is speeding by, I cannot believe it.

We have been busy as always Layla keeping me on my toes raring to go some where all the time, she is a busy bee for an 11 year old and I love it and would not change it for anything.

On Saturday I volunteered like I always do but kept it slow also so we would have more energy for the big day which was Sunday.

On Sunday we left the house at about 8 in the morning to get there on time plus depending on public transport I would rather be early than late.

Layla was in her element as we were riding the tram which she loves so it was a great way to start the day. We had to walk down hill from there to Golden Gate Park – Robin Williams Meadow where it was all happening.

There were loads of people, different booths, each organization had its own booth where they had set up snacks, etc for their walkers. We also had to sign in and I got a baseball cap, t-shirt and badge as a thank you for raising the money that I did. I also received an invite to the party afterwards but I did not go as Layla was tired and so was I.

Why is this event so important – With what is happening in the world today Organizations are having problems with funding and to keep them going every dollar helps so being able to get people to sponsor me, helps an Organization keep on doing the amazing work they do.

Why the Shanti Project – PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support) are part of the Shanti Project and as we are clients of theirs it is my way of giving back to them. They are an incredible organization and I do not know where I would be without them today. I have been with them since I had Baby, they helped me when she passed away, and they have been with Layla ever since.

What is the Shanti Project : ​ Shanti Project exists to enhance the health, quality of life and well-being of people with terminal, life-threatening or disabling illnesses or conditions. Through a continuum of services, including in-home and onsite patient and care navigation, emotional and practical support and preserving the human-animal bond, Shanti strives to achieve the highest medical and quality of life outcomes for San Francisco’s most vulnerable.

Shanti is a Sanskrit word meaning “inner peace” or “tranquility”. It is an appropriate name since, ultimately, all of Shanti’s direct service and educational programs are aimed at easing the burdens and improving the well-being of people in difficult life situations.

The mission of PAWS is to preserve, support and nurture the human-animal bond for those most vulnerable in our community.

As a Domestic Violence Survivor this organization have become my rock in many many ways and have helped me become who I am today and therefore being able to walk the AIDS WALK and raise some money for them makes me feel great as I love giving back and this is one way I can do it with a smile on my face.

What is really unique about the walk also is that it is diverse, you will find kids walking, elderly people walking and of course the dogs walking so it makes it to be a fun family day for everyone. As you walk you have volunteers cheering you on, stands with water and other goodies, bands playing music, dancers and of course the natural beauty of the park.

Layla trotted along most of the way in her pink cooling vest which was great as I did not have to worry about her over heating although the weather was cool, I carried her backpack for emergencies LOL and I think when we got to the last mile is when she started lagging a bit so I put her in the backpack and carried her to the end. I think she was amazing though, doing at least 5 miles of the 6.2 miles with little legs but most important of all is we completed it – WOW.

So that was our Sunday, a long busy day but well worth it as I loved the walk in nature at a great easy pace chatting with a friend but giving back to the community at the same time.

I would like to say a special thanks to the following :

01. All my friends that had faith in me and sponsored me, you are all heroes

02 Jones Natural Chews who donated to Layla and Shanti lots of treats so no dog would starve and what was left over thanks to you has been put into the PAWS Pet food bank for others to enjoy.

Wednesday has arrived which means my weekly woof. It has been a quiet fun week in many ways with lots of Mom time.

First of all because of the smoke and weather I had a bad allergy attack and poor Mom was so worried. I would go to the park and come home looking red like a tomato so she was wiping me down, doing everything she could think of but the itchy would not go away. What was worrying her was I was hopping with my left back leg in the air and she got concerned that I might hurt my back next. She had not changed my food, nor my treats but a lot of my dog friends are going through the same so we knew it was something from the park. In the end she went to the vet to get some Apoquel ewww which I am taking and it is easing slowly phew. Am now sleeping through the night again and letting Mom sleep too.

The weekend was busy as always as Mom says that is the time to be outdoors as the weather is fantastic for San Francisco so on Saturday we met one of my favorite Uncles in the park and just hung out, chatting, being petted and spoiled while Mom drunk her tea. It was a great couple of hours with Travis my Uncles Dog taking over the blanket so I went to visit our park neighbors and lay on theirs. They were very happy I did it and got lots of love from them.

On Sunday was a special event in our dog park – It was the the 8th Annual Three Legged Dog Picnic! WOW we got there to see so many dogs, both three legged, on wheels and regulars also. There was music going, lots of people and they gave Layla a new toy, she was spoiled.

Tri Pawed Dogs who organizes it does events once or twice a year. Everyone brings their own food and we all hang out together with our pets and families. A really fun time.

There were different rescues there which was fantastic and always makes the events extra special.

01. Nobody’s Perfekt Dogs : They rescue imperfect dogs from local shelters and find them homes with loving families who tolerate the imperfections. What an amazing Rescue Organization and one I did not know about till Sunday.

02. Muttville Senior Dog Rescue : Muttville is an organization focused on how the world thinks and treats older dogs, aged seven years and older, and creating better lives for them through rescue, foster, adoption, and hospice.

Oh and we must not forget that we met Michael from DogParks.Tv and he took a photo of me which is on his Instagram so I am now famous woof.

It was a really fun Sunday, when we got home I just went to sleep zzzzzz.

I want to remind everyone that this coming Sunday Layla and I are doing the 6 mile AIDS Walk, as I am saying the two old ladies are doing it LOL and we will have lots of photographs to share next week.

I must remind everyone that the heat is here big time and we all need to keep cool, once again thanks to CoolAid for my awesome cooling vest which is making my life so much more pleasurable when I am out.

Thank goodness the nightmare is over and all those nasty booms are done till who knows when but I am one happy little girl at this moment. My favorite neighbors popped in to check on me so when they came we went for quick walks around the block which was fun and I felt really safe. Thank you Barbara and Ryan for the visits.

Mom was so great and gave me some CBD oil to relax plus made a comfy bed in the shower where I slept.

We are now praying that whoever bolted and got lost will find his/her home again as this is just so sad that people cannot be responsible when it comes to their pets fear of fireworks.

Last weekend we had a quiet stay at home as Mom wasn’t feeling well and because of the fires in Northern California on Sunday especially the city was covered in ash and smoke so although the Jazz Festival was on which Mom wanted to go to we decided that the air was not healthy so indoors it was. Actually I liked it as I got lots of cuddles and fun time with Mom.

I am not sure if I told you but I am doing the AIDS walk with Mom on the 15th of July, it is going to be about 6 miles of walking and am really looking forward to it. You might wonder why, but the only reason is we believe in giving back where possible and as I am a PAWS client, the money would help them so whoever sponsors us is helping a really good cause. What is PAWS ? I have spoken about them in the past, they are a non profit organization, belong to the SHANTI project and help a lot of people with pets. (You can see their link on our links page).

Because it is a long walk Mom has been doing research on cooling vests for me, so that I will be comfortable walking and not over heat, plus with summer here I will be cool all the time when we are out and about which means less to worry when it comes to over heating. So Mom the researcher came across this cooling vest made by a company called Coolaid in Arizona which had exactly what she was looking for and the color also so it will match my harness and collar, PINK.

Coolaid is dedicated to provide an easy to use icy and cooling effect for all animals. It is chemical free what I love. We tried it out in the heat in the park and all I can say is that I am really happy with the vest, Layla was comfortable, running around and in a nutshell just what the doctor ordered. We were there for nearly 3 hours and when I got home it was still cool and damp. What I love about the vest is it just slips on, there are no straps, it fits perfectly, not too tight and her harness fits over it with ease. I would highly recommend this product to all dog owners.

They sponsored Layla with the one she wore plus surprised us with a pink towel/bandanna for me, two for her and also a Dog Wrap which is great for arthritis, swelling or post surgical areas plus it can be used as a cooling collar also. All pink so Layla and I will be matching in the Walk with her in her vest and me in my bandanna. It all arrived in a great light weight backpack which will make life so much easier when carrying water, treats, poop bags, etc.

A big big thank you to CoolAid for sponsoring Layla and of course a thanks for the towel/bandanna that I will wear on the WALK also.

June is nearly over and July is nearly here. This year is going too fast for us and we cannot keep up anymore BOL.

Last weekend was a busy weekend for us, it was the annual Pride and Dyke March in San Francisco. The weather was great and a wonderful way to be out and about.

On Friday evening Mom and I went for a long walk to visit a Rocket Dog Rescue event not far from our house, I got spoiled with a yummy treat from the pet store there and Mom got a t-shirt saying “Be Kind to Animals or I will kill you” Rocket Dog Rescue. This is one of my favorite organizations in the city and they do amazing work. Pali the founder is just incredible.

On Saturday I became Mini Dyke and Mom took me to the Dyke March. The weather was hot so we went early to find a spot on the street where they march and there was shade for me. Of course we went early as Mom always says the earlier the better. It was fun to be out in my backpack of course, where we sat in the shade and just watched the world go by.

I do not like the noise of the Bikes but have decided as Mom likes it, I will suffer for that and give her something she likes, so you see I can be nice sometimes.
The Bikes roared up the road, Mom filmed while I sat in the backpack and the bikers all loved me, petted me and I was spoiled although I do not think I would want to ride on one. Then came all the people walking, lots of them plus dogs all dressed up in rainbows like I was. We walked with them, although me the Mini Dyke sat in the backpack and Mom did the carrying, so I became mini Dyke in backpack. What could be better thank that.

We must have got home at about 7 in the evening and Mom was tired, and I was hungry and exhausted also, so we ate dinner and just went to bed.

On Sunday was the big parade, we had been invited to join in on a trolley and ride with SHANTI/PAWS but Mom decided it would be too much for me so we stayed at home. Now she is regretting it ha ha ha.

Our weekend was awesome, this week is going to be busy but with 4th of July looming we must discuss that.

4th of July – Mine and many of my fur friends nightmare – those damn fireworks.

This is a day to celebrate with families but we must not forget :

Although this is a day for partying, having fun, picnics and BBQ’s it is also one of the days when we should be also extra cautious with our pets, making sure they are safe at all times, they are wearing their collars, and especially when the fireworks go off they are inside the house, in a calm place with their blankets and whatever else makes them feel safe and secure. We must also remember not to raise our voice to them but treat them extra gentle to help with the stress.

4th of july

When the fireworks go off : “They will do anything to escape. Dig, climb and sometimes injure themselves to get away as they do not know what is happening.

I, for example, from the morning give Layla CBD oil to start off the calming effect, walk her not later than 6 in the evening as their are always those early birds with fireworks and most of all I make up a bed in the shower for her, which has no windows, keep the lights off there but the door is open so she can hear me, and I keep the Jazz station on the TV. There is also of course her water bowl and food.
I have found this works wonders with her, and she sleeps through all the chaos. I will not take her out later than 6 in the evening unless she comes and tells me she needs to go out, which she is smart enough to do.

July 5th is the nightmare for all shelters. That is the day when all those irresponsible owners find their pet is missing and the shelters are over flowing with pets. It is the busiest day in the US for Shelters and unfortunately we must not forget those also that have got injured when fleeing the noise.

So a reminder, when you go off to enjoy yourselves, make sure your pet is safe in the house, TV on with music, and all windows are closed so that they cannot escape. That way you can sit back and enjoy yourself and not have to worry. I personally, do not go out and am more relaxed being home in the evening with Layla.

So on this note, we are wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July, be safe, have fun and protect your fur kids,

It is woofing Wednesday and we have been busy which is making me exhausted.

So what is happening in the Layla Neighborhood ? Lots !!!!

On Saturday I went with Mom to volunteer as usual which was lots of fun as I got lots of hugs and pets from everyone, it is the best way to start a day with love. In the afternoon we relaxed and then went for a long walk.

Did you know ! I walk Mom now and she needs a new leash BOL. It goes like this, Mom wants a shortish walk in the afternoons and I decide I want a long one so off we go and when she wants to turn around I just sit down and refuse to move or pull her along in the direction I want. Guess who wins ?? Me of course while Mom is muttering under her breath HA – slaves should not mutter.

On Sunday we had an adventure which was fun although I did not like the drums. Mom and I went on the MUNI (tram) to the Native Contemporary Arts Festival at the Yerba Buena Gardens – it was a beautiful day, cool but sunny. We found a shady spot to sit under a tree and listen to the poetry. music and then dance.

Well when the drums started, I became antsy, did not like it and Mom laid the backpack on the ground open so I could lie in it, but when she saw that I was not relaxing and shhhhh spoiling her relaxing time as she wanted to listen, Mom being the good Mom that she is decided to bring me home.

Phew was I happy to sit in the backpack and get out of there. It was a learning lesson for both of us as Mom says she knows now that when it comes to different events she will have to plan things in a different way.

So this week, excluding walks and park time we are lying low and spending quality time at home. Mom is still teaching but otherwise it is just us.

This coming Saturday is Pride Weekend in San Francisco, loads of chaos so we are not planning any adventure on Sunday but to relax in the dog park. Though on Saturday I become mini Dyke and we are going to the Dyke March. I will allow Mom to do that one plus I have the backpack to sit comfortably and watch it all. Photos of course will be in next weeks blog.

On this note now that I have finished sharing what is happening in our neighborhood, I am off for my afternoon siesta which is needed.